Attitudes to line drying clothes in the UK

[Notcontent]

But of a boring topic but…. I have been thinking about this because I grew up in a country where everyone line dries their clothes whenever possible. The climate makes it easier to do this than in the UK but I think there is more to it than that. Where I live in London very few people seem to dry their clothes outside even on hot days. I almost feel like maybe it’s seen as being inappropriate and unsightly…

Is it a London thing? A class thing? In any case, I have decided to put my clothes drying racks outside whenever it’s not raining even if it offends my neighbours’ eyes!

I live in London
My last flat you were not supposed to dry on th4 balcony but I bought a short airer and did it anyway

My current place I actually have a tumble drier for the first time in my life but mostly line dry.

Nothing like the smell of freshness! My drier stresses me out as it's on for ages but the clothes are still slightly damp

when i stayed with bil in scotland i was the only line drier and the rain was on and off since it was august!
i check the weather and warn dh, who is at home, what time rain is expected.
he would rather leave it outside in the rain but i think i have taught him/persuaded him to bring it in and hang inside

I have a line and a tumble drier, if I have time and it’s something that would take ages in the drier or is too delicate I hand it out. I probably do use the drier more then I ought to mainly for convenience, I think I will try and use the line more though as I do prefer the smell of fresh air when you bring it in and much cheaper and environmentally friendly

What do people who never line dry do about:

Jeans
Fitted sheets
Baby socks

. . . and other things that shrink massively in the tumble dryer?

Do you just buy two sizes larger in the first place?

We didn’t have a washing line when we lived in London but I did put the airer out on a nice day. We’re still live in the SE and we now have a long high line which we use between late Feb and mid Oct (garden is North facing and doesn’t get enough sun over the winter months).
We do own a tumble dryer and use that during winter or on wet days the rest of the year. I also only tumble dry my towels and bedding throughout the year.

Tumble on the low heat setting @BalloonSlayer and I’ve never had a problem

I line dry whenever possible. I have a rotary airer and hang my underwear on the inside so my 'Bridget Jones' knickers arn't inflicted on the neighbours.
Our first home was a purpose built maisonette where the garden was divided between our flat and the downstairs flat. I would hang out my washing before going to work. If it rained the elderly gentleman downstairs would bring it in - all except my bras and knickers which he wouldn't touch . 😅

@Dotoallasyouwouldbedoneby

Life's too short to hang out washing and that is all I have to say on the subject. How many men ever hang out washing?

My husband does. Why wouldn't he when we line dry as much of our washing as possible?

I line dry all year round- all though the winter months too.
I don't understand those who say line dried clothes smell bad- what's not to like about fresh air?
I think tumble dried clothes have a bad smell, a whiff of plastic/rubber machine type smell.

I lived in London for years and whenever I had a garden I would hang out my washing. But I lived in the outskirs in a house if that makes any difference.

I live in the provinces and have noticed I still hang out my washing more than my neighbours and there are only 2 of us. Weird as they have a line plus time to see to it.

Bad for the environment plus expensive. Not into tumble driers will only use in winter for towels and sheets.

It is a faff but I love line dried laundry. So much easier for bedlinen and towels than having them on airers for two days. I’ve only used tumble driers in holiday cottages, rented flats or student accommodation. I don’t have room for one and can’t imagine needing to make room.

I would like an airing cupboard though & my next house will be organised around having both an airing cupboard and a south-facing spare room that can be used for drying if needed.

Underwear/socks go on radiators in bedrooms of owners (not bothered about neighbours seeing them, just too small and fiddly!) and bigger things go on the line whenever possible.

Me too!

*Dotoallasyouwouldbedoneby

Life's too short to hang out washing and that is all I have to say on the subject. How many men ever hang out washing?*
I mentioned last night about my Dh and ds hanging gwashing out.ds1 also hangs washingvwhen he is at our house. Also my dad, also my friendds' husbands. It's a perfectly normal thing to do.

You should try living where I do - 330 days of sunshine a year and I’m the only person I know who line dries. British attitudes towards line drying are positive as far as I’ve ever experienced - here it’s insane that everyone uses dryers

@QueenAdreena

Years and years ago when my late mum was still mobile, where we lived then had a bush/tree of purple berries. She regularly had to re-wash evrything hanging out because of purple coloured bird shit (though to be fair she would the normal colour shit as well!).

I don’t have a tumble dryer, so everything goes on the line whenever possible, which is more often than you think. I hate doing the washing in the winter as that means putting an electric airer up in the bathroom and carting wet washing up the stairs, and having extension leads trailing across the landing (only room big enough to fit it in). And I’m limited to one load a day, which we easily generate.

Outside washing drying is much better for the environment too!

I always line dry where possible (don't have a tumble dryer) but I found at a previous house the best thing was a open air roofed shelter in an exposed spot in the garden. A washing line strung up there was protected from the rain and clothes dried beautifully during most seasons.

I think people use a tumble dryer if they are busy people and the weather in England can be very changeable.

How do you manage when you work full time though? And live in wet parts of the uk?

It’s 13 degrees here right now and there’s a sea mist/mizzle. It would be pointless to hang my washing out and it’s forecast to be that all day.

I can’t stop in the middle of a call and go and bring washing in if it rains.

It mizzled all day yesterday too.

I have a pulley in the utility and a rack in the spare room and towels get dried off til their damp and then go in the dryer.

I do love hanging washing out but I can’t see how to manage it more than I do?

I love line dryer clothes, especially bedding.

But husband has dreadful hay fever and the pollen on the clothes makes it worse.,,….he says.

No tumble dryer here, I hate them. I line dry as much as possible.

my dh hangs the washing
but years ago a said he was well trained so he stopped for a while

a stupid neighbour that shoudl say